Chinatown

New York City has a plan to redesign Chinatown's notoriously chaotic Chatham Square as a safer and more welcoming pedestrian space. The Department of Transportation (DOT) on Tuesday released new renderings of the proposal, which would significantly expand pedestrian areas, simplify the complex intersection, and improve safety for both pedestrians and drivers. The plan also introduces more trees and greenery, including upgrades to Kimlau Square, the park at the center of Chatham Square.
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New public space and skateboarding section open as part of revitalized Brooklyn Banks

Photos courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 5, 2025

New public space and skateboarding section open as part of revitalized Brooklyn Banks

Two more acres of public open space have opened beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Chinatown, as part of the revitalization of skateboarding mecca Brooklyn Banks. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the expansion of "The Arches," along with an additional $50 million in funding to further enhance the park with new amenities, including public seating, plantings, lighting, and other upgrades. The new section includes a refurbished "Big Banks," which has been closed to skateboarders since 2010. The city began revitalizing and gradually reopening it as a public space in May 2023.
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Chinatown Restaurant Week to feature 18 eateries with off-menu specials and prix-fixe deals

Photo by Saul Macias on Unsplash

May 8, 2025

Chinatown Restaurant Week to feature 18 eateries with off-menu specials and prix-fixe deals

A week-long culinary festival in New York City will highlight the unique flavors and stories behind some of Chinatown’s best restaurants. Hosted by Welcome to Chinatown from May 19 through May 24, Chinatown Restaurant Week includes 18 neighborhood restaurants, from long-standing favorites like Hop Kee and Jing Fong to newer innovative additions shaping the future of Chinatown's food scene. Each will offer prix-fixe menus and special dishes available exclusively during the event.
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First look at Chinatown’s new 16-story jail

All images courtesy of Tutor Perini Corporation/HOK

January 28, 2025

First look at Chinatown’s new 16-story jail

With office buildings in New York City still feeling the effects of the pandemic, the sight of a new, imposing office tower going up in Chinatown may leave you scratching your head. However, this generic-looking glass tower is a new jail. As first spotted by NY1, Los Angeles-based architectural firm Tutor Perini and O&G Industries released a video showing the preliminary design of the new Manhattan Detention Center, a 16-story facility set to rise at 124-125 White Street as part of the city's plan to replace the Rikers Island complex with four borough-based jails.
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Architecture And Design

More public space opens under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan

Images courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

November 18, 2024

More public space opens under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan

New Yorkers can now enjoy more public space under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. The latest phase of "The Arches" opened on Monday, adding 15,000 square feet of park space to an area closed to the public for more than a decade, the city's Department of Transportation announced. The space, now with lush greenery and new seating, had been closed for nearly 15 years while serving as a staging site for several bridge restoration projects. The Arches sits next to the Brooklyn Banks, a haven for skateboarders that partially reopened last year.
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Chinatown’s Kimlau Square to receive $56M revamp

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

January 25, 2024

Chinatown’s Kimlau Square to receive $56M revamp

Chinatown's chaotic Kimlau Square is set to receive a $55.8 million redesign, as first reported by amNewYork. During his State of the City address on Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams announced Kimlau Square will be renovated in three phases: an expansion of the square into a pedestrian plaza with shortened street crossings, the beautification of Park Row between the plaza and the Brooklyn Bridge, and the creation of an archway that welcomes people into the neighborhood. The project aims to straighten out the confusing six-way intersection that surrounds the plaza and increase the size of the space from 12,000 to 20,000 square feet.
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10 places to find mooncakes in New York City

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels

September 28, 2023

10 places to find mooncakes in New York City

This year, the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Friday, September 29. Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, the Asian holiday celebrates what is considered the brightest and fullest moon of the year, as well as the fall harvest. In China, where perhaps the holiday is most popular, it's similar to Thanksgiving, with families gathering for a meal, accompanied by lantern lighting. Symbolizing the harvest moon, the round-shaped mooncakes are another important component of the holiday. The pastries are traditionally filled with red bean or lotus seed paste and wrapped around a salted duck egg. They're then pressed into a mold to emboss the top of the pastry in detailed designs, which all have different meanings. Ahead, find a few of the best places in New York City to find all varieties of mooncakes, along with a few options for ordering online.
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Open-air night market returns to Chinatown with 30+ vendors

Photo credit: Adrian Childress

August 9, 2023

Open-air night market returns to Chinatown with 30+ vendors

The Chinatown Night Market is returning this week with its largest outing yet. Taking place on Friday, August 11 in Forsyth Plaza, the Chinatown Night Market is a free monthly summer series hosted by Think!Chinatown. This month's event, which will run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., includes more than 30 vendors offering delicious food, breathtaking live performances, and folk art.
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A section of NYC skateboarding ‘mecca’ Brooklyn Banks reopens in Chinatown

Public space under the Brooklyn Bridge. Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Images courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

May 16, 2023

A section of NYC skateboarding ‘mecca’ Brooklyn Banks reopens in Chinatown

Parts of a long-neglected public space under the Brooklyn Bridge once known as the "mecca" of New York City skateboarding will reopen this month. On Wednesday, May 24, "The Arches," a one-acre public space with basketball, pickleball, shuffleboard, and seating under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, will officially open after being shuttered for over a decade, Mayor Eric Adams announced last week. The new park sits next to Brooklyn Banks, a haven for skateboarders and BMX riders starting in the 1980s before closing in 2010.
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City designates these NYC neighborhoods as ‘rat mitigation zones’

Photo by Ludovic Bertron on Flickr

April 5, 2023

City designates these NYC neighborhoods as ‘rat mitigation zones’

New York City this week named eight rat-prone neighborhoods as part of Mayor Eric Adams' quest to control the rodent population. According to a notice posted by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday, the "rat mitigation zones," which are areas with "high levels of rat activity," include Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, Grand Concourse in the Bronx, and Chinatown, the East Village, the Lower East Side, and Harlem in Manhattan. As Crain's reported, these identified zones will be the focus of a multiagency effort to address the rats and the conditions that cause them, according to the city.
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Lunar New Year brings celebrations and joy to NYC’s Chinatown

All photos courtesy of Welcome to Chinatown unless otherwise noted

January 18, 2023

Lunar New Year brings celebrations and joy to NYC’s Chinatown

By Lidia Ryan

In early 2020, Vic Lee, who grew up in Manhattan's Chinatown, noticed that there was less foot traffic in her neighborhood. "It was obvious something was going on that Lunar New Year,” Lee said. “We talked to business owners, and it was because of xenophobia and racist rhetoric." During the height of the coronavirus pandemic in March of that year, she co-founded Welcome to Chinatown as a way to amplify small businesses and entrepreneurs in Chinatown via their Longevity Fund. The organization also has a meal donation program for underserved residents and does research and data collection. And this month, for the third year, Welcome to Chinatown will be hosting Lunar New Year celebrations to usher in the Year of the Rabbit, which begins January 22. We spoke to Lee about what to expect and what Lunar New Year means to her, as well as the Chinatown community.
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A free festival celebrating Chinatown and its community takes place this weekend

Image courtesy of Wes Hicks on Unsplash

September 29, 2022

A free festival celebrating Chinatown and its community takes place this weekend

A new festival celebrating Chinatown is coming to Lower Manhattan. Hosted by the neighborhood advocacy group Welcome to Chinatown, the 88 East Fair aims to bring business and appreciation to Chinatown's businesses and cultural institutions that have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Held at the East Broadway Mall at 88 East Broadway, the fair will run on September 30 and October 1 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Events & Things To Do

Judge rules artists’ work won’t stop Manhattan jail demolition

Streetview of murals by Richard Haas at the Manhattan Detention Complex; © Google 2022

May 20, 2022

Judge rules artists’ work won’t stop Manhattan jail demolition

By Michelle Cohen

On Wednesday, a judge ruled against halting the demolition of the Manhattan Detention Complex at 124-125 White Street at a hearing in a lawsuit brought by two artists whose works at the site may be moved or destroyed, the New York Times reports. The plaintiffs had requested a preliminary injunction; Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied the request, citing a lack of proof that preserving the artworks outweighed the community value of a newly-constructed jail planned for the site. The artists–with support from Neighbors United Below Canal, a neighborhood group opposed to the new Chinatown jail–had invoked the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 as grounds for the lawsuit.
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May 3, 2022

City nixes plan for second Chinatown homeless shelter amid community opposition

By Michelle Cohen

In the second such move in less than a week, New York City has canceled plans for one of a handful of new homeless shelters in Chinatown, the New York Times reports. The planned "safe haven" shelter was to be located in the former Best Western Hotel at the corner of Grand Street and Bowery. The move follows months of vocal opposition to three planned shelters by community members who cite an increase in crimes targeting Asians and a similar announcement last Friday regarding the rollback of plans for a shelter nearby at 47 Madison Street.
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Policy

April 1, 2022

NYC’s Museum of Chinese in America unveils new $118M building designed by Maya Lin

The Museum of Chinese in America on Friday unveiled plans for a new headquarters designed by renowned architect Maya Lin. The new nine-story museum, to rise on the site of MOCA's current Centre Street location in Chinatown, will expand its current footprint from 12,000 square feet to about 68,000 square feet. Lin's design involves a puzzle-like exterior made of metal and perforated panels, a two-story lecture hall, a light-filled atrium, community space, and exhibitions dedicated to the history of the Chinese diaspora in the U.S. As Bloomberg first reported, the new museum will cost $118 million and is expected to open in 2025.
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Architecture And Design

NYC’s historic Five Points neighborhood is officially recognized with street co-naming

Photo on the left courtesy of Lloyd Trufelman; Photo on right courtesy of Wikimedia

October 14, 2021

NYC’s historic Five Points neighborhood is officially recognized with street co-naming

The intersection that formed the notorious Five Points neighborhood in Manhattan will now be officially part of New York City's street grid. The city has installed a sign at Baxter and Worth Streets in Lower Manhattan, marking the exact location of the original Five Points, a notorious 19th-century slum that was home to a diverse group of immigrants. Before this year's street co-naming, there was no official marker at the site to honor the historic spot, considered to be one of the country's first "melting pots." But a successful effort spearheaded by Lloyd Trufelman, who is a tour guide with the Municipal Art Society of New York, along with groups like the New York Adventure Club and the Historic Districts Council led to the street co-naming, symbolizing the return of Five Points to the city 125 years later. Ahead, hear from Trufelman about his campaign to recognize the legendary neighborhood and learn how to sign up for his upcoming walking tour.
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History

October 6, 2021

NYC commits $170M to preserve Chinatown’s historic 70 Mulberry Street after fire

The city will nearly double its investment in the restoration of a historic Chinatown building that was destroyed in a fire last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. After committing $80 million last July to the rebuilding of 70 Mulberry Street, a former public school constructed in the 1890s, the mayor said the city will tack on another $90 million, for a total of $170 million. In January 2020, a fire significantly damaged the site, forcing out five nonprofit organizations. According to the city, all of the groups will be welcomed back as tenants.
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Policy

Kimlau War Memorial becomes NYC’s first landmark related to Chinese American history

Photo by Ken Lund on Flickr

June 22, 2021

Kimlau War Memorial becomes NYC’s first landmark related to Chinese American history

New York City gained its first landmark related to Chinese American history and culture on Tuesday. The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Kimlau War Memorial, a tribute to Chinese American veterans located in Chinatown. Designed by architect Poy Gum Lee, the memorial honors Americans of Chinese descent who died during World War II and has served as a gathering place for veterans.
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Jing Fong will stay in Chinatown with new downsized location

Photo by josh s jackson via Flickr cc

May 14, 2021

Jing Fong will stay in Chinatown with new downsized location

New York City's largest Chinese restaurant is downsizing. This Sunday, Jing Fong, will close its Elizabeth Street location, the 20,000-square-foot restaurant known for its 800-person dining room and as a hot spot for dim sum. Thankfully, the iconic spot will be staying in Chinatown, as Eater NY reported, with a new 125-seat restaurant opening in July.
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Food & Dining

A new digital cookbook is supporting Chinatown businesses impacted by Covid-19

886’s Taiwanese Fried Rice (left); Wing Hin’s Shrimp Fried Rice (right). Courtesy of Send Chinatown Love + Umamicart.

May 3, 2021

A new digital cookbook is supporting Chinatown businesses impacted by Covid-19

Wing Hing Seafood Restaurant, 46 Mott St., Grand Tea & Imports, 886--these are just a few of the restaurants featured in the new digital cookbook Around the Roundtable: Recipes for Chinatown Favorites that was created to support Chinatown businesses. The free, downloadable cookbook comes from Send Chinatown Love, an entirely volunteer-run organization whose goal is to provide relief to small, immigrant-owned Chinatown businesses impacted by the effects of Covid-19.
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Here’s where to donate to support Asian communities in NYC

Photo by Mobilus in Mobili on Flickr

February 26, 2021

Here’s where to donate to support Asian communities in NYC

Before the coronavirus even hit New York City last year, anti-Asian racism and xenophobia struck the city's Chinatown neighborhoods, affecting the residents and many small businesses. Throughout the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in harassment and violence against Chinese and other Asian New Yorkers, particularly stemming from racist misinformation about COVID-19. As The City reported, the Commission on Human Rights, recorded 205 cases in 2020 involving anti-Asian incidents, a nearly "sevenfold rise" compared to 2019. Hate crimes and attacks directed at Asian Americans have continued into 2021, in New York and across the country. Ahead, we've put together a list of local organizations to donate, for those looking to support Asian communities across the five boroughs. While incomplete, the list can serve as a starting point and will be updated.
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Events & Things To Do

Chinatown restaurant Jing Fong will close its legendary 800-seat dining room

Photo by josh s jackson via Flickr cc

February 22, 2021

Chinatown restaurant Jing Fong will close its legendary 800-seat dining room

Jing Fong, NYC's largest Chinese restaurant, will close its famous 800-person dining room due to losses suffered from the COVID crisis. The iconic dim sum spot made the announcement on Friday in an Instagram post. "We are heartbroken to announce that our Chinatown location at 20 Elizabeth Street, will be permanently closing its indoor dining operation on March 7, 2021 at 8:00pm. We will continue to operate from the 2nd floor kitchen for our outside patio, take-out, and delivery until further notice." The pandemic took its toll early on the restaurant, which was forced to shut down temporarily in March under Governor Cuomo’s order that locations of 500 or more be closed.
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Food & Dining

Artist BKFoxx debuts new Year of the Ox mural in Chinatown

Photo by @just_a_spectator

February 17, 2021

Artist BKFoxx debuts new Year of the Ox mural in Chinatown

Public artist BKFoxx recently debuted her new mural in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Located at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Middle School 131 on Eldridge and Hester Streets, the piece representing the Year of the Ox is titled "Onward." The artist tells us that she was inspired by what the Ox represents--honesty, hard work, stubbornness. "No better time than now for that theme, moving forward into 2021 and learning to be resilient," she says.
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Events & Things To Do

Massive Two Bridges projects can move forward without City Council approval

Rendering: SHoP Architects

August 27, 2020

Massive Two Bridges projects can move forward without City Council approval

Three projects that include the construction of four towers and the creation of nearly 3,000 housing units in Two Bridges meet all zoning requirements and can move forward without City Council approval, an appeals court ruled Thursday. The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court reversed a lower court's ruling that had stopped the Manhattan megaproject from going ahead.
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Chinatown’s historic Mott Street is transformed into an outdoor dining oasis

All photos courtesy of Emily Andrews for Rockwell Group

July 30, 2020

Chinatown’s historic Mott Street is transformed into an outdoor dining oasis

Chinatown's Mott Street got a colorful upgrade on Wednesday with a block-long outdoor installation designed by architect David Rockwell. His firm, Rockwell Group, launched DineOut NYC earlier this summer to help New York City restaurants safely open outside by providing design templates for creative ways to use sidewalk and street space. Mott Street, now closed to cars between Mosco and Worth Streets, serves as the program's first community-wide dining area, with multiple restaurants on the strip using the facilities.
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July 22, 2020

10 iconic streets and spots in NYC open for outdoor dining